Incredible breakthrough day for Timber Creek sophomore Naylah Jones, who ran the fastest 100 in New Jersey this year at the South Jersey Elite meet at Delsea Thursday night.
Jones, who entered the meet with a PR of 12.83 from last year’s Tri-County Conference Championships at Kingsway, ran 12.18 leading all qualifiers in the trials – into a 0.9 meters-per-second wind – and then won the final in 12.25, also wind-legal.
That 12.18 puts Jones No. 1 in the state, and No. 2 is Winslow’s Jaia James, who ran 12.24 in the trials and placed second in the final in 12.44. James’ 12.24 was only 2-100ths of a second off her PR of 12.22 that she ran when she won Group 3 sectionals last spring at Delsea.
As for Jones, her 12.18 is No. 2 in school history, just off the school record of 12.06 set in 2011 by Bryanna Williams in the trials at Group 3 states at South Plainfield.
Jones finished indoors on a high note with a PR 7.36 for 55 meters at Group 3 states, good for third place. That was No. 3 in South Jersey behind James [7.20] and Rancocas Valley hurdler Anabella Chin [7.31] and No. 4 among all New Jersey sophomores.
Jones also PR’d in the 200 with a 25.91. Her previous PR was 26.44 indoors in February at Ocean Breeze.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 